


Snowy Puppy

by Kalira



Category: Naruto
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Gen, Hatake Kakashi is a Good Teacher, Huddling For Warmth, Snow, Whumptober, Whumptober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2020-11-25 19:43:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20917538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira
Summary: It's his pup's first mission to lands where snow lies heavy and thick, and Kakashi has to keep a close eye on Sakura as she discovers just how bitter the cold can be.





	Snowy Puppy

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Whumptober](https://whumptober2019.tumblr.com/post/187785964678/whumptober2019-october-approaches-and-so-does), Day 29: Numb
> 
> While not part of [Training Sakura](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1187928), this is set in a similar canon divergence wherein Sakura is now Kakashi's sole student.

Kakashi looked up from the pack he was retying, nose twitching beneath his mask. The cold deadened many of the scents, the snow even more, even those familiar to him difficult to pick out, but the discomfort of that was easily pushed aside - it was hardly the first time he’d dealt with it, trekking through snowy countryside on a mission.

He frowned. “Sakura.” She shuddered and lifted her head a little, usually sparkling eyes dull and squinted. “What’s wrong?” Kakashi prompted.

Sakura shivered, making a tiny pitiful sound, though she was clearly smothering it as best she could.

“Sakura?” Kakashi repeated more firmly.

Sakura whimpered. “Cold, sensei.” She squirmed, ducking her head, her eyes glittering with tears before the fall of her fringe hid them from his sight again.

Kakashi’s shoulders stiffened and he swept a careful look over her from head to toe. She was dressed warmly, at least - he’d taken her to be properly outfitted before they set out on this mission; none of her winter gear had been heavy enough, nor suited for ninja work - but . . . she was small and skinny and not used to weather this cold. _He_ was cold, too, but while it was decidedly unpleasant, it was nothing worse. He would be all right, even if he stayed at this level for a while.

He wasn’t entirely sure Sakura would be. Kakashi nudged the pack aside from where he’d been working on it between his knees, along with the blanket he’d pulled out of it, then shifted to scan their surroundings once more. A quick doton jutsu - more sense than substance - to feel out the frozen earth below them, and he flexed his frozen fingers before rubbing them together quietly.

“Come here, pup.” Kakashi tilted his head, beckoning. Sakura didn’t move other than shivering for a long few moments, then huffed a few shallow breaths and hauled herself up, moving stiffly and still curled inwards around her core, to shuffle towards him, feet scuffing in the snow. She stilled again half a pace away, and Kakashi raised a hand, sliding it over her shoulder and to the back of her neck over her scarf, tugging her closer and down, out of the wind.

“_Cold._” Sakura said miserably, even as she gave him an apologetic look, probably for complaining, and Kakashi nodded, humming sympathetically.

“How bad is it?” he asked, even as he wondered if she knew how to self-assess cold.

“Can’t feel my fingers.” Sakura said, voice soft, curling in on herself a little tighter, her words hitching and running together. Her face was likely numb too, then.

Kakashi grumbled disapprovingly and eyed the snow around them as he ran his hand down her arm to pick up one of hers, folding it within his own. Her fingers were stiff and icy cold, and they trembled. “Get your pack and bring it here.” Kakashi instructed.

Sakura took a moment to comply, and she whimpered as she stepped away from him and passed into the path of the wind again, mild as it was. Kakashi straightened to his full height and grimaced as it blew at him as well, but ignored it otherwise. He dragged his own pack closer with one foot, and dropped Sakura’s to rest atop it when she brought it to him. Kakashi shoved both packs backwards against the low drift of snow behind them as he wrapped his arm around Sakura’s shoulders, tugging her close against him and keeping both hands free.

Sakura gasped and shuddered as she came up against his side, and Kakashi suppressed a shiver of his own. She was frozen even inside the blanket she had wrapped around herself over her cold weather gear. “Poor pup.” he murmured, and Sakura sniffed.

“Sensei?” She tilted her head up a little and he tucked it back down with a gentle push, closer to his chest where she was more sheltered.

Kakashi fixed the jutsu in his mind and ran through the seals quickly, then stepped backwards, drawing Sakura along with him by her neck and shoulder in the crook of his arm. The snow surged around them, firming into walls even as a small space hollowed out at his back.

Chucking his own blanket over the snow first, Kakashi sank down and tugged Sakura after him. There was barely any space in the tiny hollow he had created, and as he went down it closed closer over their heads, but that was by design. The less space the more warmth could build up inside the close walls.

Sakura obligingly squashed herself up against his side, squirming to try and wrap her blanket around herself more securely and making a breathy, shocked yip as she made contact with the snow instead. Kakashi took a breath, then let it out slowly, frowning and trying to suppress his worry.

“Sorry, Kakashi-sensei, I’ll be quiet.” Sakura said, shivering and tugging at her blanket.

Kakashi made a negative sound and shed his flak jacket, draping it over their packs at his other side before shifting carefully, pulling Sakura onto the thin shield of his blanket beside him and tucking her under his arm, bringing her back up against his side. Sakura burrowed into him with a whine, and Kakashi rearranged her blanket so that it wrapped around her but not between them.

She was so cold that Kakashi had to suppress shivers of his own as the chill seeped into him from her, and apparently didn’t quite manage it well enough, as Sakura pulled away a bit and whined again. “Sorry, sensei. . .”

“Shush, pup.” Kakashi scolded gently, dipping his head and nosing the top of her head as he squeezed her snugly, keeping her from pulling away. “You need to be warm.”

Sakura sniffed and then twisted a little, snuggling closer, her shoulder squeezing beneath his arm and her head tucking down against his collarbones as her legs folded up against his. Fortunately not on the side where his pouch was strapped over his thigh.

A shiver ran through him and Sakura shifted a little more, unwrapping her blanket and drawing it over him as well, though she had to squeeze herself very small against his side to get it to reach. Kakashi tucked it into place, making sure it still covered her properly, and rubbed his free hand up and down her side with a quiet, soothing croon.

Sakura slowly relaxed, and slowly _warmed up_, sagging against his shoulder with only the occasional shudder. The little hollow warmed, bit by bit, from their bodies and their breath filling it, and Sakura stopped shivering entirely, though she didn’t pull away from him. That was best, Kakashi thought; even if she was now approaching warm enough, he didn’t want her to get chilled again.

He knew Sakura was asleep when one of her legs, which had been tightly folded, tilted and fell loosely across his knee. He tugged it up enough that her ankle was no longer exposed beyond the edge of the blanket and tilted his head back, resting it against the wall of snow.

Sakura snuffled quietly in her sleep, and Kakashi’s lips twitched towards a fond smile.

Silly, brave little pup, determined to stick it out no matter what. Kakashi had to keep a close eye on her to be sure she didn’t push herself too hard, either determined to prove something to herself or, he had realised recently, with a heartwrenching pang, not to disappoint _him_.

Kakashi tipped his head to nuzzle the top of Sakura’s, curled his arm a little more to hook his fingertips through one of the straps on her coat and keep it in place around her, then let himself relax to seek sleep as well. They were well hidden, and as warm as was likely to be possible, and he’d set alarm traps and jutsu around them when he’d chosen a camp. It was as secure as they were going to be for now, and his pup was looked after, it was time to rest.


End file.
